Tuesday, November 4, 2014

11:15 PM

JOHNSON CREEK -- Silence fell over the crowd at AG candidate Susan Happ's election night party as Gov. Scott Walker was announced the projected winner in his race for re-election. Dem Happ remained absent, reportedly watching the results with her family in an adjacent room.

The hush of the room was punctuated by cheers as Happ emerged to address her supporters, upbeat and smiling despite learning the race had been called for opponent Brad Schimel moments before.

"If we came up a little short tonight, it wasn't because of any shortage of effort or enthusiasm," Happ told the crowd of around 70. "You were all incredible, and we could not have done any more."

She said the momentum of her entry into the race was complicated by the three-way primary she faced with fellow Dems Jon Richards and Ismael Ozanne, but complimented their progressiveness. Happ called the race "an uphill battle," with an opponent who benefitted from a financial advantage.

She criticized the negative aspects of the campaign, saying she would have preferred to spend more of the campaign discussing issues facing the state.

But she expressed appreciation for the support of her friends and family, calling them a motivating factor in her decision to run. "I'm grateful to you, and the hundreds of thousands who marked an 'x' next to my name."

"Tomorrow is another day; the sun will rise, and the alarm will go off a bit too early, and I'm going to sleep in a little, for a change," Happ concluded, prompting cheers and applause that lasted a full minute, but faded into silence as the candidate made the rounds of the room, then retreated.

Among the lingering crowd, the mood was one of grim acceptance. Supporter Terese Dineen appeared resolute but disappointed. "I expected these results in some way, but the optimist in me wanted to see different numbers."

Dineen said she is concerned about the impact of campaign spending in the race for attorney general, and others in the state and nation.

"We're in a hole, and we're just going to keep digging deeper," Dineen said. "I feel like I have to learn to walk and talk again, because this is a whole different world."